Waiting

Luke 2:22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord,
:23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord",
:24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
:26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
:27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
:28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
:29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word;
:30 for my eyes have seen Your salvation
:31 which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
:32 a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel."
:33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against,
:35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
:36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years form her virginity;
:37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
:38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Is 30:18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.

Do you ever get impatient waiting for God for anything? We often equate "wait" with "waste".

If you are waiting for something or someone, you think you are doing nothing, which seems like a waste of time.

Waiting serves many purposes. It proves our faith. Those whose faith is weak are often the first to give up waiting, while those with the strongest faith are willing to wait indefinitely.

Not receiving an answer immediately when we pray is not a reason to give up faith.

Obey and Esther # 4

James 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

We try to fight with God. He is greater, more powerful, stronger, and wiser than we are. When He says no, why don’t we just obey?

Esther 2:21 In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Xerxes.

:22 So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.

:23 And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

The city gate was like city hall. It’s where most of business takes place.

God allowed Mordecai to hear the plot against the king. The men are hanged, but Mordecai isn’t rewarded for his service.

In those days, a king greatly rewarded those who were loyal or served well. Mordecai may have been disappointed, but God had a plan and he would be rewarded later.

While this part of the story may seem not that important in the life of Esther, it will be important later.

Just like Mordecai, Christians have to wait for our reward for making right choices now.